Jamille Matt is unlikely to feature in Forest Green’s trip to Barrow on Good Friday as he goes through the FA’s concussion protocols.
The Forest Green captain was forced to come off in the 15th-minute after a coming together with Hartlepool’s Timi Odusina in the 1-1 draw at The Fully Charged New Lawn on Saturday.
Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Billy Hunt, boss Rob Edwards confirmed that Matt was in “good form” back in the changing room, and Rovers are now following concussion protocols before he returns to the side.
Matt must now undergo the FA’s six-stage concussion protocol schedule before returning to the squad – meaning he will likely be ineligible to play on Friday afternoon.
FA’s six-stage Concussion Protocols
Stage 1: Sunday – 24 hours’ minimum rest period after which the player must be symptom-free before progressing. A doctor’s clearance is then recommended before moving on to stage 2.
Stage 2: Monday at earliest – Light exercise. This includes ‘walking, light jogging, swimming, stationary cycling or equivalent’
Stage 3: Tuesday at earliest – Football-specific exercise, including simple running drills with limited body and head movement. No heading of the ball is allowed at this stage.
Stage 4: Wednesday at earliest – Non-contact training, including ‘passing, change of direction, shooting and small-sided games’ as well as resistance training – but still no heading. Matt would again need clearance from a doctor to move onto the next stage.
Stage 5: Thursday at earliest – Full-contact practice. This is normal training and may at this point include tackling and heading.
Stage 6: Friday at earliest – Player permitted to return to full-match action.
